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Grammar is the set of rules that govern the usage of English language.
Understand the building blocks of grammar
Nouns,
Pronouns,
Articles, adjectives,
Verbs,
Adverbs,
Prepositions, Conjunctions
Interjections.
part of
speech function or "job" example words example sentences
Verb action or state (to) be, have, do, EnglishClub is a web site.
like, work, sing, can, I like EnglishClub.
must
Noun thing or person pen, dog, work, This is my dog. He lives in my house.
music, town, We live in London.
London, teacher,
John
part of
speech function or "job" example words example sentences
Adjective describes a noun good, big, red, well, My dogs are big. I like big dogs.
interesting
Determiner limits or "determines" a/an, the, 2, some, I have two dogs and some rabbits.
a noun many
Pronoun replaces a noun I, you, he, she, Tara is Indian. She is beautiful.
some
Preposition links a noun to to, at, after, on, but We went to school on Monday.
another word
Conjunction joins clauses or and, but, when I like dogs and I like cats. I like
sentences or words cats and dogs. I like dogs but I don't
like cats.
Interjection short exclamation, oh!, ouch!, hi!, well Ouch! That hurts! Hi! How are
sometimes inserted you? Well, I don't know.
into a sentence
IMPORTANTBUILDING BLOCKS OF GRAMMAR
NOUNS
A noun is a word used as the name of a person, place or thing.
Examples: King, Mohan, Sarita, Mumbai, Table
PRONOUNS
A pronoun is a word used instead of a noun.
Examples: He, She, It, They
ARTICLES
The words a, an and the are called articles. They are used before nouns.
VERBS
A verb is a word that describes an action or occurrence or indicates a state of being.
Examples: He talks to Sameer, She sings a song
ADJECTIVES
An adjective is a word used to describe a noun.
Examples : Beautiful house, Tall man
ADVERBS
An adverb is a word which modifies the meaning of a verb, adjective or another adverb.
Examples: He runs fast, They fought bravely.
PREPOSITIONS
A preposition is a word which shows the relation between the noun or pronoun and
other words in the sentence.
Examples: The boy is in the room, The book is on the table.
CONJUNCTIONS
A conjunction is a word which joins to sentences to complete their meaning.
Examples : They reached the station but it was too late.
He put on his shoes because he was going for a run.
INTERJECTIONS
An interjection is a word which expresses sudden feeling or emotion.
Examples : Hello!, Alas!, Hurray!, Oh!
SUBJECT
Definition:
The subject of a sentence is the noun, pronoun or noun phrase that precedes and
governs the main verb. The subject is the part of the sentence that performs an action
or which is associated with the action.
For example:
He is a really nice guy.
* "He" is the subject of the sentence, controlling the verb and the complement.
My dog attacked the burglar.
* "My dog" is the subject, controlling the verb and the rest of the sentence.
David plays the piano
* The subject "David" performs the action of "playing the piano".
The police interviewed all the witnesses.
* The subject the police performs the action of interviewing all the witnesses.
To determine the subject of a sentence, first isolate the verb and then make a question
by placing "who?" or "what?" before it. Having identified the Subject, we can see that
the remainder of the sentence tells us what the Subject does or did. We refer to this
string as the "predicate" of the sentence.
For example:
Who plays the piano?
=> "David" ( = Subject)
=> "plays the piano" ( = predicate) tells us what David does.
Who interviewed all the witnesses?
=> "The police" (= Subject)
=> "interviewed all the witnesses" ( = predicate) tell us what the police did.
Subjects can either be "simple", "compound" or "complex"
Simple Subject
A complex subject consists of a noun phrase and any words, phrases, or clauses that
modify it.
For example:
The man who had followed us inside walked over to the telephone.
=> central noun: man
=> complex subject: the man who had followed us inside
The superior performance of La Traviata pleased the wealthy audience.
=> central noun: performance
=> complex subject: the superior performance of La Traviata
Compound Subject
A compound subject consists of two or more noun phrases (and their modifiers if any)
joined together with a coordinating conjunction.
For example:
The man and the woman walked over to the telephone.
=> The compound subject here is the whole phrase, "the man and the woman."
Neither the superior performance of La Traviata nor the excellent wine at
intermission pleased the wealthy audience.
=> Again, the whole phrase, "neither the superior performance of La Traviata nor
the excellent wine at intermission," is the subject. The phrase answers the
question, "What pleased the wealthy audience?"
Sentence
A sentence is a group of words giving a complete thought. A sentence must contain
a subject and a verb (although one may be implied).
A More Formal Definition of Sentence
A sentence is a set of words that is complete in itself, typically containing a subject and
predicate, conveying a statement, question, exclamation, or command, and consisting
of a main clause and sometimes one or more subordinate clauses.
Oxford Dictionary
The Four Types of Sentence
There are four types of sentence.
A declarative sentence.
A declarative sentence states a fact and ends with a period / full stop. For example:
o He has every attribute of a dog except loyalty. (Thomas P Gore)
o I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult.
(Remember, a statement which contains an indirect question (like this example) is not a
question.)
An imperative sentence.
An imperative sentence is a command or a polite request. It ends with an exclamation
mark or a period / full stop. For example:
o When a dog runs at you, whistle for him. (Henry David Thoreau, 1817-
1862)
An interrogative sentence.
An interrogative sentence asks a question and ends with a question mark. For example:
o Who knew that dog saliva can mend a broken heart? (Jennifer Neal)
An exclamatory sentence.
An exclamatory sentence expresses excitement or emotion. It ends with an exclamation
mark. For example:
o In Washington, it's dog eat dog. In academia, it's exactly the opposite!
(Robert Reich)
Nouns
Nouns are simply the names we give to everything around us, whether it be a
person, an event, a place or an object, etc. Every particular name used to define
something is a noun. E.g. : Amsterdam, Anita, Blackberry, Honesty, Waiter, etc.
The names given to a group of noun to identify them as a whole are called
Collective Nouns. E.g.: pride of lions, gaggle of geese etc.
Sometimes nouns have different forms for different genders, although this
practice has been largely abandoned by the people who prefer to use the same
noun for both genders. For example - Actor (male) - Actress (female), but people
nowadays refer to women who act as female actors rather than actresses.
Most nouns can be converted into plural forms by adding -s or -es at the end of
the word. E.g.: box-boxes, cat-cats, echo-echoes , etc
But some nouns require the last consonant to be modified before adding -es.
For example: the Y in city changes to I to form cities, kitty to kitties and f to v
in dwarf to dwarves, wharf to wharves, etc.
Some nouns become plurals irregularly by changing the entire word: mouse-
mice, ox - oxen, etc.
Grammarians have divided nouns into different categories
based on their use and purpose. Learning these divisions within
the nouns will help in sentence construction and vocabulary.
The different types of Nouns are
1. PROPER NOUNS
These nouns are the names of specific people and places. These nouns
also refer to the names of the days of weeks and months, and also the various
names for religions, organizations, institutions, etc. Proper nouns basically refer
to the names that are specific to that particular noun. These nouns are always
capitalised as they need to be distinct from other nouns.
2. COMMON NOUNS
These are the nouns that are used to denote a general category of people,
places or things. They are capitalized only when they are at the beginning of a
sentence. Common Nouns dont refer to something specific rather they are a
general term used for every noun of a particular kind or type.
- The boys went to play cricket. - Both boys and cricket are common nouns as
they can refer to any boy or any cricket match. There is nothing specified by
these nouns.
- This neighbourhood is one of the best in the area. - Here neighbourhood is
the common noun as there are innumerable neighbourhoods all over the world.
- She was trying to answer her phone while buying coffee. - Here we
see phone and coffee that both are general indicators of the object and the
drink.
3. ABSTRACT NOUNS
These nouns are the names of things that we cannot perceive through our
five senses of touching, smelling, seeing, hearing and tasting. These nouns can
also refer to medical conditions related to the mind and are also used to express
thoughts.
- She screamed with great delight. - Delight is an abstract noun as it tells about
the state of a persons mind and any actual physical thing.
- His bravery in the war won him a medal. - The abstract noun bravery is used
to name the motivation behind certain actions made by people.
- One should learn to be as independent as possible.
Here, independentdescribes a state or a way of being, hence it is an abstract
noun.
4. COUNTABLE NOUNS
The nouns that fall under this category are the ones that have both singular and
plural forms. They can be counted either relatively or completely, and form
plurals to associate with plural verbs in a sentence. They can also be expressed
in numerical terms
- I need to buy four new suitcases for my trip. - Suitcase (s) is a countable noun
as adding s to it makes it plural.
- Does anyone want some oranges? - Here some is being used to count the
noun orange(s).
- She had a pet dog. - Dog is also a countable noun as its plural is dogs.
5. UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS
These nouns are the exact opposite of Countable Nouns. These nouns are the
names of things that cannot be counted and have only a singular form. These
nouns use singular verbs in a sentence.
Nouns Exercise 1
List of Nouns, Noun Examples
Actor Doctor Helmet Match Rose
Singular Pronouns - Where the pronoun is only referring to one specific noun.
- That book belongs to me.
Me refers to one singular person only.
Plural Pronouns - Where the pronoun is used to refer to a number of nouns.
- That is their book, not yours.
Their shows a number of people, hence its a plural personal pronoun. Whereas the
yours in this sentence is another example of singular personal pronoun.
Cases
Subjective Case -
- She is at work.
She is the main subject of the sentence, hence in this sentence, she is the
subjective personal pronoun. You can ask the question who/what is doing
______? to recognize whether a pronoun is subjective or objective.
Objective Case -
- He will meet us later.
Us is the objective personal noun as it the object of the verb meet. He is the
subject as he is the person who will be doing the action of meeting.
Possessive Case
- That is our clubhouse.
Our shows the possession of the object clubhouse. Possessive pronouns can
also be used to show possession over people.
Demonstrative Pronouns
Demonstrative Pronouns are used to show or identify one or a number of nouns
that may be far or near in distance or time.
They are only four in number - This, That, These and Those.
This and That are singular demonstrative pronouns and These and Those are
plural demonstrative pronouns.
They can also be used to show an unspecified quantity in a sentence.
- That is a beautiful house.
That is a demonstrative pronoun that is referring to a specific noun (house). This
is a singular pronoun as it is referring to only one house.
PRONOUN EXERCISE 1
CHOOSE THE CORRECT OPTION:
I me
2. My uncle, ______ is an engineer, works at Sony.
that who
her she
5. The restaurant was very dirty. There were many flies buzzing around _____.
we us
her she
them they
Whose Who
that those
10. The person _____ was accused of the burglary has been caught.
which who
EXERCISE 2
CHOOSE THE CORRECT OPTION:
you your
we us
This These
Those That
7. ______ of you are invited to my birthday party tonight.
All Some
Everything Nothing
anyone none
herself himself
EXERCISE 3
CHOOSE THE CORRECT OPTION:
myself yourself
themselves ourselves
His Hers
4. I will do this exercise ________.
myself ourself
What is an article?
An article is a word that modifies or describes the Noun. It is used before the noun to
show whether it refers to something specific or not. So, in a way, articles can also be
described as a type of adjectives as they also tell us something about the nouns, like
adjectives.
Types of Articles
There are two types of Articles in the English language. They are as follows:
Definite article:
Definite means to be clear, exact or obvious about something. It is called definite
because it is used in relation to a particular thing or person. The is the definite article
in English, which is used to refer to particular nouns, the identities of which are known.
The definite article indicates that the noun is specific. The speaker talks about a
particular thing. For example:
The cat sat on the couch.
The dog attacked me and ran away.
Notice how the reference is not left indefinite in both the sentences. It is clear that a
particular cat sat on the couch in the first sentence and a specific dog that attacked the
speaker is being spoken about in the second example.
Indefinite articles:
Indefinite means something which is not clear, obvious or exact. They are called
indefinite because the identity of the thing or person being spoken about is left unclear
or indefinite. The indefinite article indicates that the noun is not someone or something
in particular. The speaker talks about any one of that type of things. The indefinite
articles in English are "a" and "an." For example:
Do you have a pencil?
I want to have an apple.
Notice how the speaker is not asking for a particular pencil or apple, but any pencil or
apple in the above sentences.
Difference between A and An
Indefinite articles a/an are used as follows:
A is used before a word beginning with a consonant sound. Consonant letters in the
English alphabet are B,C,D,F,G,H,J,K,L,M,N,P,Q,R,S,T,V,W,X,Y,Z.
For example: A boy, a cat, a dog, a fight, a gym, a horse, a joke, a kite, a lion, a mirror,
a noise, a pin, a quilt, etc.
An is used before a word beginning with a vowel sound. Vowel letters in the English
alphabet are A, E, I, O, U.
For example: An apple, an elephant, an idiot, an orange, an umbrella, etc.
Note here that the usage is on the basis of sound and not only the letter the word starts
with.
For example:
An hour
An honest man
A one eyed dog
Do these seem wrong to you?
Theyre not and the reason is that the usage is on the basis of sound. The words
'hour' and 'honest' both begin with a vowel sound, as the consonant 'h' is not
pronounced. Similarly, the word 'one' begins with the consonant sound of 'w' and hence
is written as 'a one eyed dog', not 'an one eyed dog'.
Also, remember that we use "a" and "an" only before a singular noun. We can't use "a"
and "an" before a plural noun. For example:
A book - correct
A books - incorrect
An egg - correct
An eggs incorrect
Tips to remember the differences in a nutshell
a + singular noun beginning with a consonant : abag;a pen, etc.
an + singular noun beginning with a vowel: an egg; anorphan, etc.
a + singular noun beginning with a consonant sound:auser(sounds like 'yoo-zer,'
i.e., gives a 'y' sound, so 'a' is used); a university; a European, etc.
an + nouns starting with silent "h":an hour; an honest man, etc.
NOTE:
These rules also apply in Acronyms.
For example:
He is a DU (Delhi University) student.
He is an IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) graduate.
The rule also applies when acronyms start with consonant letters but have vowel
sounds.
For example:
She is an MBA (Master of Business Administration).
When/If the noun is modified by an adjective, the choice between a and an
depends on the initial sound of the adjective that immediately follows the article.
For example:
a beautiful umbrella
an unusual situation
a European country (pronounced as 'yer-o-pi-an,' i.e., sounds like consonant 'y')
A/An is used to indicate membership in a group.
For example:
A/ An is
When talking about something which
used This is a pen.
belongs to a set of the same thing.
Verbs
Verbs are the most important component of any sentence. These words talk about the
action or the state of any noun or subject. This means that verbs show what the subject
is doing or what is the state or situation of the subject.
For example:
- He ran to the store. - Here the verb ran describes the action of the subject he
- She is a creative person. - Here there is no action being done. Instead the
auxiliary verb is shows the state of the subject she as being creative.
There are different types and classifications of Verbs; some of the most important
ones are listed below:
Action Verbs
These verbs talk about what the subject is doing in the sentence. Action Verbs are
one of the most easily identifiable types of verbs. To recognize them, you simply
have to look for the word in the sentence that answers the question What is the
subject doing? e.g. -
- Rose is painting the kitchen walls.
The subject here is Rose, and what is Rose doing? Rose is painting. Hence
painting is our action verb.
- My dog is sleeping on the sofa.
The subject here is dog, and what is the dog doing? The dog is sleeping. So
sleeping is our action verb.
There are two types of Action Verbs which describe the Verb and the Subject doing
the action and the Object on which the action is done, they are -
Transitive Verbs -
These Action Verbs have a definite object on which, or for which the action is being
performed. That means that the action has a definite recipient or object. To identify
them you can ask the question what is the/did the subject -verb-?
- Rose is painting the kitchen walls.
Here the verb is painting and the subject is Rose.
If we form the question - what is Rose painting?
The answer is- The kitchen walls.
Thus, we see that there was a specific object on which the action of painting was
being done.
- Hannah gave him a big hug.
Here we see that the action gave is being performed by the subject Hannah. So
the question is what did Hannah give?And the answer is - A big hug.
Here, we also have a indirect object as him. This indirect object would be the
answer to the question-
Who did the subject (Hannah) - verb - (give) the object(hug) to?
Intransitive Verbs -
These verbs also show an action but here there is no specific object on which the
action is being done. To recognize these verbs, we ask the question what is the/did
the subject -verb- ? If there is no answer present, then the verb in the sentence is
an Intransitive Verb.
- Rose is painting right now.
Here, if we ask the question what is Rose painting? There is no answer which
means that in this sentence painting is an Intransitive Verb.
It is telling us about the action of the subject but there is no specific object for the
action.
- Hannah sneezed repeatedly.
Here, the verb is sneezed. If we ask the question what did Hannah sneeze?
There is no answer present for it making sneezed a intransitive verb.
Dynamic and Stative Verbs
This category of verbs deals with the verb words themselves; and whether they
indicate an action or a state of the subject. This category is not concerned with the
object in particular.
Dynamic Verbs
These verbs denote an actual action or expression or process done by the subject.
They mean an action which can be seen or physically felt or the result of which is
seen or physically felt by the object or an indirect object.
- She buys new clothes every week.
Here the verb is buys which is an action done by the subject she, hence it is a
dynamic verb.
- He is swimming at the beach.
Here again we have the definite action swimming done by the subject he, making
swimming a dynamic verb in this sentence.
Stative Verbs
These verbs refer to the state of the subject or the situation of the subject. Stative
Verbs tell us about the state of mind of the subject, or the relation between the
subject and the object.
- She prefers strawberry jam.
Here the Stative Verb is prefers which shows the thinking of the subject She
towards the object, which is jam.
- The cupboard requires a new coat of paint.
Here the subject is cupboard and the stative verb is requires which is telling
about the relation between the subject cupboard and the object paint.
Linking Verbs
These verbs are unlike other verbs as they do not tell anything about a subject
themselves, instead Linking Verbs connect the subject to a noun or adjective that
helps in describing or providing additional information about the subject. Those
nouns or adjectives are called the subject complements.
- Lisa is fussy about food.
Here we see the subject is Lisa and the linking verb is iswhich is connecting
Lisa to the subject complement fussy about food which is giving additional
information about Lisas preferences.
- They are stubborn children.
Here the linking verb is are which is combining the subject They to the subject
complement of stubborn which is an adjective.
The best to recognize linking words in a sentence is to see whether the verb can
be replaced by is, am or are. If the sentence still sounds logical you know you
have a linking verb.
The students felt relieved. - The students are relieved.
Hence felt was a linking verb and not an action verb. As felt here is simply
connecting the subject to the adjective.
Every student felt the relief. - Every student is/am/arethe relief.
Hence in this sentence felt is action verb as it is the action of feeling an
emotion.
Using Verbs in Sentences -
To use verbs correctly in sentences you need to learn more about the
construction and use of the various verbs. And how they change form according
to tenses and use in a sentence. For correct application verbs in written text you
will need to know about -
Regular and Irregular Verbs - These are the two different ways in which verbs
change to form different tenses. Whether to simply add -ed at the end of a verb
or does it take a different form altogether.
Finite and Non-Finite Verbs - These are verbs which can be either the main verb
of a sentence or just one that is used as an adjective or noun as well.
Modal Verbs - These verbs tell us whether something is probable or about the
skills of a noun etc. There are 10 modal verbs in total and each have an
important part in sentence formation.
Adjectives
Adjectives are words that are used to describe (what kind of?) nouns and
pronouns and to quantify (how much of?) and identify (which one?) them. In a
nutshell, Adjectives are what define nouns and give them characteristics to
differentiate them from other nouns. For example:
Here Seven is also an adjective as its telling the quantity/the number of the
noun rooms, answering the question how many rooms?.
There are different types of adjectives based upon their effect on a noun and
what do they tell about the noun. There are five categories of adjectives
3. Age -Then is the turn of the Adjectives that tell about the age of a noun
either by itself or in relation to another noun.
4. Shape - Next are the adjectives that tell about the shape or appearance of
the noun.
5. Colour - After that are the adjectives that tell the shade and hue of a
noun.
6. Origin - Next are the adjectives that show the different geographical
locations associated with a noun.
7. Material - Next are the adjectives that talk about the raw material or
texture of the objects or the behaviour of the living nouns.
ADJECTIVES EXERCISE 1
most talkative
2. Cricket is an ______game.
exciting excitinger
excitengest
gorgeous gorgeousest
gorgeouser
4. She has a very ______voice.
sour bitter
sweet
hard harder
hardest
simple
trustworthy trustworthier
trustworthest
friendly friendlier
friendliest
gooder goodest
better
outstandinger outstandingest
outstanding
EXERCISE 2
frightender frightened
frightendest
2. Mr. Sharma felt very _____ when his son failed the final examination.
disappointed
relaxed relaxing
relaxful
4. Rohan felt _____ when his manager shouted at him in front of his
juniors.
proud honoured
ashamed
bashful confident
bold
beneficial useless
necessity
least great
cool
excited boring
interesting
interested interesting
exciting
10. The news of her death ______ us.
stunning stunned
stunded
Adverbs
Adverbs are words that are used in sentences to describe or change the meaning of
a Verb or Adjective or even another Adverb. They add description to the sentence
to make it more detailed and interesting. For example:
He walked slowly across the square.
Here, one can see that the Adverb slowly is describing the Verb walk by telling
that the person was walking slowly.
Types of Adverbs
Adverbs are used in sentences to answer many questions about the
Verbs/Adjectives/Adverbs themselves. The different types of Adverbs are as
following:
Adverb of Time
E.g.: The results were announced yesterday.
Here the Adverb is yesterday which is answering the question: When were the
results announced? Announced is the verb in this sentence.
She will visit the hospital tomorrow.
Here the Verb is visit and the Adverb is tomorrow as the question being asked
is: Whenwill she visit the hospital?
Other examples of Adverbs of Time are Once, Never, Tomorrow, Daily etc.
Adverb of Place
E.g.: They will meet you there.
The Adverb here is there that is specifying a place for the Verb meet and the
question being answered is: Where will they meet you?
In spring, flowers bloom everywhere.
Here the Verb is bloom and the Adverb is everywhere,answering the question:
Where do the flowers bloom in spring?
Other examples of Adverbs of Place are - Anywhere, Somewhere, Near, Far etc.
Adverb of Manner
E.g.: He quietly slipped away.
The Adverb here is quietly which is telling the way or manner in which the action
was carried out and the Verb is slipped which is telling: How did he slip away.
She works fast.
The Verb here is work and the Adverb is fast and the question being asked is: How
does she work?
These Adverbs tell about the manner of the action being done, whether it is done
happily or haltingly etc. Other examples of Adverbs of Manner are - Honestly,
Joyfully, Cunningly etc.
Adverb of Frequency
He likes to watch TV every day.
Here, the Adverb is every day and it is telling about the amount of time spent in
doing the Verb, which is watch. The question in this sentence is: How often does
he watch TV?
They meet every week.
The Adverb here is every week and it is telling the frequency and the Verb is meet.
The sentence is telling us: How oftendo they meet?
These Adverbs are used to show the duration or timing of the action that is
happening/had happened/will happen. They also tell us how often and how long
these actions would be. Other examples of Adverbs of Frequency are - Frequently,
Often, Yearly, Briefly etc.
Adverbs of Degree
She almost finished the work.
The Verb here is finished and the Adverb is almost which is telling us about the
amount of the work finished. The question being asked is: How much of the work
did she finish?
They were completely surprised by the windfall.
The adverb here is completely which is showing the degree to which they were
surprised which is the Verb. The question being asked here is: How much were
they surprised?
The Adverbs of Degree are used to show to what extent or how much has an action
been done or will be done. Other examples of these Adverbs are - Fully, Partially,
Altogether etc.
Adverbs of Confirmation and Negation
They will certainly like this vase.
The Adverb here is certainly which is reinforcing the Verb like in
answer to the question: Will they like this vase?
He never leaves his house.
The Adverb never is negating the Verb leave. It is answering the
question in denial: Does he ever leave his house?
These Adverbs either confirm or deny the action of the Verb. They are
also used to reinforce the action that is described by the Verb. Other
examples of Adverbs of Confirmation are - Definitely, Absolutely,
Surely etc. Examples for Adverbs of Denial or Negation are - No, Dont,
Cant etc.
Adverbs of Comment
These Adverbs are used to make a comment on the entire sentence. They
give a look at the speakers viewpoint or opinion about the sentence.
These Adverbs dont just change or describe the Verb; they influence the
whole sentence.
They found his secret easily.
+
Unfortunately
Unfortunately, they found his secret easily.
Here, we see that adding the Adverb unfortunately has changed the entire tone of
the sentence. Earlier, it was a passive tone, now it has a negative or disappointed
tone.
Other examples of Adverbs of Comment are -
Adverbs of Conjunction
These Adverbs are used to connect ideas or clauses, they are used to show
consequence or effect or the relation between the two clauses. To use these
Adverbs to conjugate two clauses you need to use a semicolon (;) to connect
them.
Clause 1: He was going for an important interview.
Clause 2: He made sure he reached on time.
He was going for an important interview; accordingly, he made sure he
reached on time.
Here, we see how the Adverb accordingly is joining the two clauses and
showing the relation between them with the use of a semicolon (;). Accordingly
means- therefore or that is why.
A few other Adverbs of Conjunction are -
Strictly
Enthusiastically Interestingly Politely
ADVERBS EXERCISE 1
CHOOSE THE CORRECT OPTION:
easily difficultly
frequently
2. Rohan behaves very _____ with his elders.
goodly badly
easily
inside outside
out
aggressively sympathetically
hardly
5. He doesnt care for anything and _______ looks happy every time.
since ago
hence
immediately slowly
peacefully
lowly highly
hardly
8. I was stuck in a jam for _______ two hours.
nearly simply
correctly
never seldom
often
10. Thomas was ______ happy when he got his first job.
extremely fully
halfly
ADVERB EXERCISE 2
CHOOSE THE CORRECT OPTION:
Yesterday Tomorrow
This Sunday
slow steadily
fast
progressively repeatedly
necessarily
loudly slowly
hardly
always usually
never
nowhere anywhere
everywhere
soon never
randomn
dirtily
sad regret
angry
Prepositions
Prepositions are the words which are used to connect the different nouns,
pronouns and phrases in a sentence. It functions to introduce or precede the
word or phrase to be connected, called the object of the preposition.
The preposition usually indicates the relation between the words it is
connecting. It tells whether the words are connected in actual space or a place,
or related through time or are they part of a thought or process.
Prepositional phrases are the preposition and its object and any adjectives or
adverbs that were applied to the object. The prepositional phrase as a whole
can also be used as a noun, adverb or adjective.
- He found the book on the table.
Kinds of Prepositions -
Simple Prepositions
These prepositions are constructed by only one word like -
On, at, about, with, after, for, etc.
- He found the book about dogs on the table, in the bedroom.
Double Prepositions
These prepositions are formed by combining two words or two Simple
Prepositions-
Into, within, upon, onto, etc.
- The dog jumped onto the bed and left marks upon the sheets.
Compound Prepositions
These prepositions are two word prepositions.
According to, because of, next to, due toetc.
- He was upset because of his son's behaviour.
Participle Prepositions-
Participles are actually verbs that end with -en or -ing. As these verbs were
commonly and very popularly used as prepositions by the people, these verbs
have been given a special status as prepositions.
Considering, during, given, including etc.
-Considering what he had to work with, he did a pretty good job.
Phrase Prepositions
These prepositions are a combination of the preposition + a modifier
(optional) + the object. They are used to modify the nouns, verbs or sentences
and also complete clauses.
At home, in time, with me, from my father, under the blanket, etc.
- The clothes left on the bed have been ironed and kept back.
These classifications are based on the construction of the prepositions
themselves. Apart from this, prepositions are also categorized based on their use
in a sentence as -
Prepositions of Place
Prepositions of Time
Prepositions of Movement
List of Prepositions
Prepositions can only be learnt by memory; unfortunately there is no method or
particular way to recognize and learn them. To help you with memorizing the different
prepositions, here is a list of common prepositions.
Simple Prepositions
For
By
At
On
Of
Off
To
Double Prepositions
Into
Onto
Upto
From Behind
From Beneath
Out Of
Upon
Compound Prepositions
Across
Along
Beside
Behind
Before
Without
Inside
Participle Prepositions
Concerning
Notwithstanding
Pending
During
Given
Failing
Excluding
Phrase Prepositions
At high speed
By all means
For a change
In accordance with
On a journey
Out of curiosity
To the best of
Conjunctions
A conjunction is a word which connects two words or clauses or sentences and
shows the relation between them. They are used to avoid making the text seem
like bullet points and to make the text flow. E.g. -
Jai saw a dog on the road. He decided to adopt the dog. Jai brought the dog
home.
Jai saw a dog on the road and decided to adopt the dog, sohe brought the dog
home.
Here and and so are conjunctions which are used to join the sentences and
show the relation between them.
There are three main categories of conjunctions that are explained below.
Apart from these, there are also Adverbs of Conjunctions,. To learn more
about the Adverbs of Conjunctions visit the Adverbs page.
Coordinating Conjunctions
These conjunctions are used to link or join two words or phrases that are
equally important and complete in terms of grammar when compared with
each other. That is to say, the sentences or words do not depend on anything
to give themselves meaning.
There are seven main coordinating conjunctions -
For
And
Nor
But
Or
Yet
Soon
As you can see, these conjunctions are arranged in this way to provide the
mnemonic acronym of FANBOYS so that it is easier to remember them.
These conjunctions are always placed between the two clauses or words that
they are joining. The following are some examples of the coordinating
conjunctions -
Chris does not want tea. Chris does not want coffee. - Chris does not want tea
or coffee.
Here, we see how or was used to combine the two words and make a
cohesive sentence using them. Also, notice how the or is between the
two words.
I scored 60% in the exams this year. Anita scored 7% more than me this year. -
I scored 60% in the exams but Anita scored 7% more than me this year.
Here we see that but was used in the middle to combine and show the
relation between the two sentences that were both equally important and
cohesive by themselves.
Subordinating Conjunctions
These conjunctions are used to join an independent and complete clause
with a dependent clause that relies on the main clause for meaning and
relevance. The dependent clause cannot exist on its own as a sentence
and often does not make sense without the main clause.
The subordinating conjunction always comes before the dependent
clause but the dependent clause itself can be placed either ahead of or
following the independent clause.
Since they had misbehaved, the boys were given one week suspensions
from school.
Here, we see the dependent clause is they had misbehaved which is not
a valid sentence by itself.
The independent main clause is the boys were given one week
suspensions from school.
They are joined by the subordinating conjunction since.
He was fond of playing basketball because it was his fathers favourite
game.
In this sentence, because is the subordinating conjunction as it
introduces the dependent clause it was his fathers favourite game
The main clause in this sentence is he was fond of playing basketball as
it is the sentence which can be said independently and still be
grammatically correct.
Other subordinating conjunctions are - Although, As, Before, Once,
Though, Until, Whether, etc.
Correlative Conjunctions
Correlative Conjunctions are simply pairs of conjunctions used in a
sentence to join different words or groups of words in a sentence
together. Correlative Conjunctions are generally not used to link
sentences themselves, instead they link two or more words of equal
importance within the sentence itself. Some of the more commonly used
correlative conjunctions are -
Both the shoes and the dress were completely overpriced.
This is an example of using the correlative
conjunctions both/and in a sentence. As you can see in this
sentence, the shoes and the dress were equally important
elements that needed to be given the same importance.
They should either change their strategy or just forfeit the game.
The correlative conjunctions just as/so are used to link two phrases
that have a similar theme or are referring to a similar thing together. This
conjunction is used to show the correspondence between two phrases or
words.
He neither helps around the house nor does he look for a job.
Not only does he play the lead guitar but he is also the bands
songwriter.
It doesnt matter whether the roses are fresh or if they are drooping, just
buy them.
Despite Otherwise
because since
however unless
Although Finally
Moreover Already
otherwise inspite of
however instead
for because
already but
6. My mother _______ I went to the market for shopping.
or either
neither and
7. Thomas was not telling the truth. ________ he was shouting at me.
Provided Although
Moreover In order to
otherwise so
therefore but
finally consequently
in order to for
10. I will give you my car _____________ you come back before 5o clock.
as although
because provided
CONJUNCTIONS EXERCISE 2
CHOOSE THE CORRECT OPTION:
As Besides
Unless Despite
for since
because as
yet as
but still
Likely Unlike
Similar Differently
initially consequently
therefore finally
6. ____________ it is very cold there, we have postponed our visit.
Since Due to
Yet Because of
7. Radha knows French; ______________, we have selected her to head our operations in France.
therefore moreover
otherwise provided
yet although
besides consequently
Aside Besides
Despite In spite of
Interjections
Interjections are small words that bear no grammatical connection with the
sentences in which they are used. They express the emotions or sentiments of
the speaker or convey hesitation or protest. They are usually followed by an
exclamation mark.
Since many interjections are mainly written forms of actual sounds that were
produced by humans, they are hardly used in academic or scholarly writing,
unless they are a part of a direct quote or otherwise.
Ah! Now thats what I call a good shot! Bravo!
Both Ah and Bravo are interjections used to show the speakers admiration in
the sentence. There are many different uses for various interjections; the
following is a list of the common interjections you may hear around you in
daily life -
Interjection Meaning Use
Oops Making a mistake Oops! Sorry I didnt see those skates there.
Expressing surprise or
Wow Wow! Thats really great news!
admiration
Some interjections are used to stall for time or indicate that the speaker is
thinking of something. These interjections are also used when someone doesnt
know what to say. The following is a list of these sounds or words; they are
also called Hesitation Devices -
Meaning Use
Interjection
TENSES
tense Affirmative/Negative/Question Use Signal Words
always, every ,
Simple A: He speaks. action in the present taking never, normally,
Present N: He does not speak. place regularly, never or often, seldom,
Q: Does he speak? several times sometimes, usually
if sentences type I
facts
(If I talk, )
actions taking place one after
another
action set by a timetable or
schedule
Present A: He is speaking. at the moment, just,
Progressive N: He is not speaking. action taking place in the
just now, Listen!,
Q: Is he speaking? moment of speaking Look!, now, right
now
action taking place only for a
limited period of time
action arranged for the future
Simple Past A: He spoke. yesterday, 2
N: He did not speak. action in the past taking minutes ago, in
Q: Did he speak? place once, never or several 1990, the other day,
times last Friday
if sentence type II (If
actions taking place one after I talked, )
another
action taking place in the
middle of another action
Past A: He was speaking. while, as long as
Progressive N: He was not speaking. action going on at a certain
Q: Was he speaking? time in the past
actions taking place at the
same time
action in the past that is
interrupted by another action
Present A: He has spoken. already, ever, just,
Perfect N: He has not spoken. putting emphasis on the result
never, not yet, so
Simple Q: Has he spoken? action that is still going on far, till now, up to
now
action that stopped recently
finished action that has an
influence on the present
action that has taken place
once, never or several times
before the moment of
speaking
Present A: He has been speaking. all day, for 4 years,
Perfect N: He has not been speaking. putting emphasis on since 1993, how
the course or duration (not
Progressive Q: Has he been speaking? long?, the whole
the result)
week
action that recently stopped or
is still going on
finished action that influenced
the present
Past A: He had spoken. already, just, never,
Perfect N: He had not spoken. action taking place before a not yet, once, until
Simple Q: Had he spoken? certain time in the past that day
if sentence type III
sometimes interchangeable
(If I had talked, )
with past perfect progressive
putting emphasis only on
the fact (not the duration)
Past A: He had been speaking. for, since, the whole
Perfect N: He had not been speaking. action taking place before a day, all day
Progressive Q: Had he been speaking? certain time in the past
sometimes interchangeable
with past perfect simple
putting emphasis on
the duration or course of an
action
Future I A: He will speak. in a year, next ,
Simple N: He will not speak. action in the future that cannot tomorrow
Q: Will he speak? be influenced If-Satz Typ I (If you
ask her, she will
spontaneous decision
help you.)
assumption with regard to the assumption: I think,
future probably, perhaps